Attempts have been made to provide prefabricated building components to reduce the amount of fabrication and construction that must take place at the building site. Prefabrication enables various manufacturing and assembly steps to be carried out under controlled factory conditions, and substantially reduces the number of personnel and the types and quantity of equipment and supplies that must be transported to the building site.
Many of the prior art prefabricated building components have been prefabricated panels that would define all or part of a wall. The prefabricated building panel typically would include at least an array of internal supporting members and at least one outer layer which may be either a rough sheathing or a finished layer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,020 which issued to Saunders on May 6, 1980, shows one of the many prior art prefabricated building panels. The structure shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,020 includes an array of internal supporting studs and outer layers of particle board, gypsum board or the like. The supporting structures comprise longitudinally extending supporting members which extend substantially the entire length of the panel and transverse supporting members extending between and connecting the longitudinal supporting members. One edge of each panel shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,020 includes an elongated tongue, while the opposed edge includes a corresponding groove. Thus, adjacent panels can be connected in end to end relationship. However, to connect panels in perpendicular relationship, it is necessary to partly disassemble the adjacent panels. Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,020 provides no convenient means for accommodating utilities, insulation and the like within the panel.
Another prefabricated panel structure is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,136,792 which issued to Goldsmith on Apr. 20, 1915. The panel shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,136,792 includes a plurality of elongated generally L-shaped panel components. The components are connected to one another such that the narrow legs thereof define transverse supporting members for the completed panel, and such that the wide legs thereof are interconnected to define a portion of one of the opposed walls of the prefabricated panel. The walls may be perforated to receive plaster or the like. Although a plurality of such L-shaped members may be connected to create a panel of any required length, U.S. Pat. No. 1,136,792 does not suggest any means for interconnecting panel members perpendicular to one another or for extending utilities laterally through the panels.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,591 issued to Fitzgibbon on Aug. 28, 1979 and shows a prefabricated panel having a plurality of longitudinally extending supporting members, transversely extending supporting members connecting the respective tops and bottoms of the longitudinal members and a pair of opposed parallel outer layers. The outer layers may be plywood, or the like, and extend beyond the respective transversely extending top and bottom members to effectively define top and bottom channels. Connecting members may be disposed in these channels to connect a plurality of such panels in edge to edge relationship. Although U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,591 shows utility lines disposed in certain panels, these lines must be put in place by drilling, cutting and similar techniques that are required for walls that are not prefabricated.
Another prefabricated panel structure is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,498,014 which issued to Fergen on Mar. 3, 1970. The panel system shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,498,014 includes a plurality of parallel transversely extending supporting members with an outer layer, such as plywood, nailed to one side. The opposed side of the transversely extending supporting members has a plurality of parallel longitudinally extending spaced apart members nailed thereto. The system shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,498,014 thus provides accessibility to the panel from one side and permits transverse extension of utility lines and such. However, U.S. Pat. No. 3,498,014 does not provide any means for longitudinal extension of utility lines without cutting through the transverse supporting members. Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 3,498,014 requires the interior layer to be affixed at the construction site.
Other prefabricated panel structures are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,663 which issued to Audet on Apr. 5, 1983; U.S. Pat. No. 3,958,388 which issued to Hawes on May 25, 1976; U.S. Pat. No. 3,732,138 which issued to Almog on May 8, 1973; U.S. Pat. No. 2,669,860 which issued to Bell on Feb. 23, 1954; U.S. Pat. No. 2,432,979 which issued to Attwell on Dec. 23, 1947; French Pat. No. 669,843 and Italian Pat. No. 421,933.
Although all of the prior art panels described above eliminate certain on-site fabrication, these references do not readily accommodate the placement of utility lines and do not readily accommodate the interconnection of panel members in both edge to edge relationship and perpendicular relationship.
Accordingly, it is an object of the subject invention to provide a prefabricated panel that facilitates the interconnection of panels at the building site.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide a prefabricated panel that greatly facilitates the passage of utility lines.
It is a further object of the subject invention to provide a prefabricated assembly of panels that can be connected in edge to edge, end to end or perpendicular relationship to other such panels.
An additional object of the subject invention is to provide a prefabricated panel that can be made from any of the readily available construction materials.
Still a further object of the subject invention is to provide a prefabricated panel system that can be assembled by unskilled personnel with readily available construction tools. Standard carpenters tools and techniques can be used to cut panels to size on the job site. Standard panel sizes can be cut and fitted to meet any unusual jobsite or design condition that develops as the job progresses. This adaptability provides a major advantage over precut or other prefabricated systems where in walls must match foundations, floors or other assemblies that frequently go out-of-square or off-of planned dimension.